# BioWare’s Saudi owners reportedly ordered a flag to be removed from Mass Effect 5 because it was ‘too similar to the LGBTQIA+ one’

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/biowares-saudi-owners-reportedly-ordered-a-flag-to-be-removed-from-mass-effect-5-because-it-was-too-similar-to-the-lgbtqia-one/
- Published: 2026-10-28T18:12:12+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-28T19:58:01+00:00
- Original publisher: Destructoid
- Original article: https://www.destructoid.com/bioware-lgbt-flag-removal-from-mass-effect-5/
- Topics: Entertainment, Gaming, Middle East

## Key points

- Owners reportedly asked BioWare to remove a flag from a pitch video.
- The report says the concern was avoiding offence over its resemblance to an LGBTQIA+ flag.
- The account concerns pitch material; the game was later cancelled.

## Summary

BioWare’s Saudi backed owners reportedly objected to a flag in a pitch video for Mass Effect 5, saying it was “too similar” to an LGBTQIA+ flag. The account comes from a French BFMTV report and suggests managers wanted the flag removed to avoid offence, amid concerns about BioWare’s inclusive storytelling.

The report says the request concerned pitch material, not necessarily the game itself. Illustrator Kala Elizabeth said the game had no flags but included same sex romances, citing former BioWare developers. Mass Effect 5 was later cancelled, and BioWare has since shut down after 30 years; the article says EA is now privately owned by Saudi backed investors.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.